This one has been particularly brutal. But yesterday the temperature jumped up to a whopping 40 something degrees. And it felt amazing; it felt like spring. I took Grigsby out for his late afternoon walk as the sun was setting in the west, revealing a picture of breathtaking hues. Purples, pinks, oranges and heavenly golds were thrown rather creatively into the sky. A light but slightly warm breeze kissed my face. It was not typical for Adair County in late February, and it had the scent of the coming spring.
Spring is on its way. Though the winter grays of February seem to dominate our experience, Spring is on its way and with it a reminder bursting with hope: The Kingdom is on its way, right around the corner if you will.
The restoration of green grass, budding flowers, and flourishing trees are a picture to a deeper reality. The reality that someday--someday soon even--Jesus will usher in his Kingdom, and with it innumerable joys.
Laughter. Life. Intimacy. Beauty. Joy. Healing. Complete Restoration of our deepest brokenness and disappointments. Most of all, an uninterrupted communion with God our Father and Jesus our Friend. I simply cannot wait.
Samantha and I walked to the large field next to our home and sat down with our pup to enjoy the gift of Beauty our Father had lavished onto Northeast Missouri. We drank in the view, and something in our hearts breathed a sigh of relief. We were ok. If the One who handcrafted that beauty of a sunset was also our Daddy, then we were going to be ok. More than ok. His heart for us is beyond good.
After the sun dove down behind the horizon, Samantha and I went to grab a gyro and feta fries from the square. While eating our dinner I asked Samantha to name her top three moments of her life. She quickly rattled off a whole slew of her favorite memories, a lot more than three. Our wedding. My proposal. A game winning hit against Illinois State. Bucketfulls of laughter with her teammates.
A few of mine included: Our wedding. My bachelor party. Our honeymoon. A slip screen from the 5 yard line to tie the game, thanks to a salty move by Garret White.
Samantha and I laughed heartily as we reminisced. Usually we remember our great moments with a touch of resignation and a thought something along the lines of "Those were great times. But they're long gone now. They're over."
But this time Samantha and I weren't discouraged or cynical. Thanks to a subtle but well timed reminder of Beauty from our Great God, we knew with confidence that the Kingdom will come, that the Kingdom of God will abolish the word over. Because in the Kingdom, Life never ends, and neither will the immense joy that awaits us on the other side.
Oh yes. Spring is on its way.
And so is His Kingdom.
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